Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point facts for kids
Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point (often called MOTSU) is one of the biggest military ports in the world. It's a special place where the United States Army moves important military supplies. These supplies travel by train, truck, and ship. The 596th Transportation Brigade helps run this busy terminal.
What is Sunny Point?
This important military base is located in North Carolina. It sits between the town of Boiling Spring Lakes, North Carolina and the Cape Fear River. It's also close to Southport, North Carolina.
The base was built in 1951 and opened in 1955. It covers about 8,500 acres of land along the Cape Fear River. This is in Brunswick and New Hanover counties. It's about 16 miles (26 km) south of Wilmington, North Carolina. An extra 2,100 acres on Pleasure Island acts as a safety area around the base. This area includes popular beaches like Carolina Beach and Kure Beach.
Sunny Point is a secure military base. Only authorized people can enter. The docks where ships load and unload are also restricted. Boats that are not part of the military cannot stop or anchor in the river right in front of the docks. They can only pass through.
The port is very large and can handle up to six ships at the same time. It has huge cranes to help load and unload heavy items. Inside the base, there are about 62 miles (100 km) of railroad tracks. These tracks help move supplies all around the facility.
History of Sunny Point
The land where Sunny Point is located has a long history. As far back as 1725, it was a plantation. During the American Civil War, there was an artillery battery here. This battery helped protect the Cape Fear River.
Because the area was isolated and had deep water access, it was a perfect spot for a military supply transfer point. So, the Sunny Point military logistics center was built in 1951 and started operating in 1955.
Since it opened, the port has helped move supplies for every major conflict involving the United States. It was especially busy during the Vietnam War. At that time, up to six ships were being loaded at once. During the Gulf War, about 466,000 tons of cargo passed through MOTSU.
